Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

I can see why they have such a high rating--my order arrived quickly and most importantly the plants are in top-notch condition, ready to grow and not nearly as distressed by shipping as I'd feared. This was my first time ordering perennials by mail, but I'll be a repeat customer with Bluestone. Two thumbs up!

My order arrived yesterday, and as usual, I couldn't be more pleased. I ordered in 2 batches, but they shipped everything as one order. I got an email telling me when everything had shipped, including tracking numbers. I order most of my plants from Bluestone - they have great prices and a huge selection. Plus, I like the fact that they grow almost everything on site - I've had bad experiences with places that basically resell plants from all over the country. The tall plants like astilbes were packed in tall boxes, and the groundcovers and other short things were in squattier boxes. Yes, the peanuts are annoying, but worth it for the plants' sakes (our city recycles them, so it's no big deal). Everything was in great shape, several plants were blooming already, and nothing was squashed except one of the boxes (not the plants inside, though!). The coupons are always wonderful as well, and they don't expire! Dealing with customer service is always a pleasure, and I can't wait to order next year! Bluestone is my favorite mail-order nursery!!!!

I ordered several plants and they all arrived in excellent condition. I can see why they have earned such a good reputation!

This is my second year now ordering for them...and once again I was very pleased with my order,,I love growing mum and they have the best selection to chose from...my last year order of mum have tripled in size...I have mention this company to several of my customers(I do lawn care) and was suprised that some new and have ordered from them as well....

Wow, Wow, Wow! What great plants. I ordered 8 different plants from them that just arrived today. They are all perfect. I am really amazed how well they shipped. I'm sold on Bluestone Perennials!

I ordered several plants from Bluestone Perennials after checking out this website. I received my plants from Bluestone and plants from another Watchdog 30 company yesterday - and I've got to tell you - after seeing both sets of plants side by side, on the same day, I am SO impressed with Bluestone's quality! The plants are larger than their competitor and were packed much, much, much better. To top it all off, their customer service is great! I called earlier this week because I was curious as to when my shipment would arrive. Their agent was kind, courteous and was able to tell me exactly when they shipped and when I should receive them. I will definitely be purchasing plants from them again in the future.

I've ordered from Bluestone in the past, so I know the size of the plants are small. However, this order arrived and many of the plants were barely seedlings. I can't understand why they can't send them out after they've grown more. While checking my local nursery I compared similar plants. The size difference between Bluestone's and a local one costing $2 more was extreme. Adding the shipping cost makes it even more so. I will only use Bluestone if I can't find the plant I want here. Again, I've been pleased in the past but this problem has always caused me concern.

Excellent smallish plants that really take off, and within a month are as big as any you'll get in a nursery. Because of price, you can afford to get larger groups which looks better in your border. The smaller plants are much easier to plant than the larger sizes. Will definitely order again. They're awesome.

My order with Bluestone this year was fairly large, and I added to it several times. Customer service was fantastic, very prompt in their responses and updates. The plants arrived very healthy and a nice size. They arrived the same week that I requested that they arrive. I love that they offer most of their plants in sets of three for the price that they do. I will definitely order from Bluestone again.

I found Bluestone by reading the reviews at Garden Watchdog, and felt comfortable placing a sizeable order (more than 25 dozen plants, primarily a variety of groundcovers). I was delighted every step of the way: I placed an order online, then kept thinking, and about 5 hrs. later ordered more. A few days later, they e-mailed me that the 2 orders combined exceeded $200 and therefore the shipping fee would be credited back to my charge card. As I kept doing more research and wanted to expand the order further, they consolidated all my orders, shipped them when I wanted them (in my case, in 2 batches). Then they notified me of their 25% discount, so I got the benefit of being able to afford more plants than I had thought. Their prices seem quite reasonable to begin with but the discount made it even better. The tracking info sent by Bluestone was helpful in anticipating the time of the deliveries. When I opened the first box, there was a booklet of coupons for certain selections of plants...very tempting. BEST OF ALL, ALL THE PLANTS WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION! They were well and securely packed, still quite moist (despite the ride from Ohio to Georgia), they have well formed root systems, a little moss here and there indicating they were hardened before shipping, and many (particularly the ajuga, mazus reptans and some lamium) were blooming, which was delightful. I've planted about 3/4 of the plants since the first shipment came 2 weeks ago, and they literally "hit the ground running". Many of the ajuga are setting out runners already, and everything is flourishing with minimal attention from me. (I got another booklet of coupons with the second shipment, which I had not at all expected.)
I'm impressed that all their software seems to be well integrated, so it's not a problem to add or adjust orders--my experience with other on-line/catalog outlets is that each order is handled as a separate entity and the customer service people often struggle when asked to consolidate orders, apply discounts, change the shipping dates, etc.
Only 2 things were less than optimal: one is the fact that I was billed well in advance of the order being shipped (which makes me reluctant to respond to their current promotion for bulbs for fall planting), and then the peanuts packing material, while it worked great for the plants, was a handful. I found if I spread a tarp out on the porch before unpacking, it was easier to manage the mess. They have a policy for "recycling" the peanuts--you mail them back, supposedly for about $4/box and then they send you vouchers for free shipping on future orders (a value they say ranges from $6.50-$17.50). I had 5 boxes ready to ship back, but only took 2 to the post office to see how it worked. To mail them parcel post (as they suggested), there would have been a surcharge of $2.75/box on top of a base charge of over $6 (since the boxes were oversized), so that made priority mail cheaper at $7.05 each). I mailed them priority mail (which seemed silly) and intend to call there tomorrow to see what they say: I don't think the cost/benefit ratio works out quite the way portrayed. Other than that, I'm thrilled to have found such a good source for a great variety of plants. Thank you Bluestone, and thank you to everyone who has written reviews.

Another reviewer wrote the following...
"Bluestone had jammed all 40 of my plants in their flimsy plastic pots inside one large cardboard box, cushioned only with some biodegradable plastic peanuts they kindly asked me to return to them if I placed another order. No wonder my plants arrived quite dry and in a beat up state."
I had the exact same experience. I planted the sad-looking plants and am taking very good care of them. I'll give them a month or two to see if I can't bring them back to health. If some of them should die (which looks like will probably be the case), I'll contact BSP and ask for some replacements. Depending on their response, I'll shift my review to either positive or negative.

I purchased many perennials from them and all arrived in very good condition. I also had UPS claim they delivered my flowers on the day that bluestone said it would arrive and I was impressed by the e-mail saying that they would arrive on Friday. They didn't so I tracked the package with the information that bluestone provided and UPS claimed they delivered it at 1:17 that day but they didn't, I was home all day. I called bluestone and they offered to ship it again to me by FEDEX. I told them I would call them back on Monday because that Friday was the first warm day that we saw in New York since winter set in. I think maybe the UPS driver took a very long lunch!!!!!!!!!!! Well guess what my package was delivered on Monday. I called bluestone back and told them thank you for the great service but my delivery was made on Monday and I didn't need a replacement. I will certainly buy from them again.

awesome, i was very pleased with my plants, & the dead one & missing one were promptly (well, as soon as they had it- the dreaded 'b/o') replaced with only an email on my part. they are doing well (other than the lilac my toddlers trampled, lol, & it looks as if it will recover) & when i called to amend my internet order they couldn't have been more helpful.

thanks, bluestone! i would order again.

Last year I did my first mail orders and stuck with nurseries closer to home (Oregon). Forestfarm, Joy Creek, Goodwin Creek, Diggingdog. I was very happy with all of them. This year, based on all the comments here, I tried Bluestone. I managed to get over $200 and got free shipping. I was surprised when they shipped Fedex 3 day. I received my order exactly one week after placing it online. And I'm in a rural area on the left coast. All of the plants were in excellent condition, nice root balls, very moist. Pretty much the same size as the ones from the other nurseries, BUT the price is almost half!! Even if you don't order so much, their shipping is very reasonable. I can't wait to place another order.

I received excellent plants from Bluestone perennials. They were carefully packed. I was expecting small plants, which they were, but I think they look very vigorous and healthy, just small (as opposed to other nurseries that have sent small and sickly plants). I think I got very good value for my money and I expect these plants to grow quickly and happily, making their initial size a moot point. I liked that the plants were often sold in groups of three. I found that I could get a 3-pack of plants for the same price at which other companies were selling one plant. I will absolutely order from them again next year.

Thanks Bluestone!
The plants came and are WAY bigger then I expected!
Everything is lush and green, absolutely no breakage or dryness anywhere! I would highly recommend this company.
I think that their plant size has also increased from what I previously remember!
Chola

I was eager to purchase from this company because of it's high rating here, however I do not think it lives up to it.
Overall a fair experience - but some minor things still leave a bad taste.

I was rewarded with a small swarm of whiteflies when I opened the box - Yuck.
The packaging was not so good - Packing peanuts everywhere.

Two plants had their tops crushed because they were too tall for the box, and were broken when the box flaps were closed. One was tall and shrubby, and only the topmost leaves were broken. The other had it's flower stalk (already in bloom) busted off - again the main plant was unharmed. I know that both plants will recover - so I did not pursue a replacement. It's just annoying to have lost some of the plant's stronger growth when it could have been avoided.

I was also surprised when I was billed on my credit card at the time of the order - some four months before delivery. Most other companies bill when the plants are shipped. It's a minor nuisance, but one I could do without.

Lastly I can't say I'm fond of their practice of forcing you to buy three of any one perennial. I'm sure it's better for them, but of course, it artificailly triples the price too - it raised my cost to a point where I could not buy the variety of plants that I wanted.

Overall plant health was good, and were as described in their catalog - but still plenty of room for improvement.

Well, just got my order from Bluestone, and once again I am very satisfied. Although the plants may be smaller than some, the price and selection are excellent. Each time I place an order, they give a book of coupons that ends up lowering the overall cost. The size of the plants isn't really all that important, since I received larger from other companies that didn't survive or didn't grow as fast or as well. Each time I've ordered from a large selection of football and spider mums, I found myself amazed at the growth and the bloom size by the first fall. Their customer service is the best part. Numerous times, between my fall order placement and my spring shipment [if you pre-order you can save 15-25% of the cost] I've cancelled, added on, or changed items. Their customer service was polite, helpful and at times generous with additional discounts or waving delivery charges. Talking to their reps was a pleasure--something I can't say for all plant companies I've dealt with [see Musser review]. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any gardener, but particularly one on a limited budget looking for something new or different for their garden.

I received a large order from Bluestone ealier this month. The plants are small, but they are all healthy and growing already. I like that I can by 3 small plants of most varieties, this lets me fill in more area and most things look better planted in groups. I could not afford to buy three at the local nursery. In most cases the group of three cost less than buying one at the nursery and next year they will come up the same size as the nursery ones.

After I placed my order, I decided I wanted a couple of additional items, I called customer service to see what the shipping would be on this small additional order. Customer service was terrific, they found my original order and added the items to it and let me send in a check for the additional plants and combined the orders to save shipping costs.

They send you an email to let you know they have received your order and another one after they ship telling you to watch for your delivery. All in all they are great, they are my favorite mail order nursery and I have order from a half dozen over the last few years.

Excellent company to buy from. I bought a varigated Hydrangea Macrophyllia. It was very small, but it appears healthy and it was packaged well. I also got two Clethra bushes, which are in dormancy but starting to show growth. Finally, I got a three pack of Potentillia, and they look vibrant and ready to grow.
Besides the plants, Bluestone send a message saying that if you return the packaging peanuts (roughly $3.50 through UPS), they will reuse the peanuts and send you a voucher for free shipping on your next order (shipping costs at least $6). I am happy to buy from a company that is concerned with conservation.
A+++!

I ordered 6 plants. They arrived promptly and are flourishing in my garden. Will definitely order from Bluestone again.

I recieved my order of a couple of pretty big boxes from Bluestone a couple of days ago and am thrilled! The catalog tells that they send cells of small plants, so I was expecting seedlings, but wow! The little plants are wonderful-great root systems and full, tight crowns of new growth. After comparing price and quality with other sources, for me Bluestone is a bargain. This was my first order with them, but certainly won't be my last. Thanks to everyone at Bluestone for great service and quality!

1st time mail order user. Started with Springhill but cancelled the order after shipment was pushed back a month. Bluestone delivered healthy looking plants in very short order. Plants were well protected. Already thinking about ordering a few more items.

My plants arrived in perfect condition. Very good packaging and healthy. They are small but the price is fair.

I've never ordered plants from a distance before, because I have preferred raising them myself, or buying locally. But I was taken with the positive comments here, and thought I'd give Bluestone a try. I ordered fairly early, and my order arrived at just the right moment: the very short time between the end of frost and the onset of high temperatures in the high desert.

On opening the box though, I was very disappointed. An important plant was missing, and 4 out of 6 of the most fragile seedlings had all their leaves broken. I emailed the company about the problem, and was immediately sent replacements- no questions asked. For this reason, as well as their excellent prices and selection, I will gladly reorder from Bluestone. And the second shipment of fragile plants arrived without any damage at all.

Sending tender seedlings around the country at the mercy of UPS has got to be risky at times. Since the second shipment arrived in perfect shape, I have to suspect that the fault initially was perhaps that of UPS rather than Bluestone. In any case, nothing and nobody is perfect, so perfection was not the requirement to turn me from an unhappy to a very satisfied customer. Excellent customer relations are far more important to me than a flawless experience. And Bluestone proved that their high ratings are well-deserved. After all: a company reveals itself even more by the way it behaves when things go wrong than it does when everything goes well.

Why didn't I discover this company before??!! Great plants, excellent packing, on time, fast shipping. If there's a better source for perrenials I'd be surprised.

Wonderful company. My order arrived quickly and my plants are in excellent health. The communication with the customer is fabulous. I will be back soon Bluestone Perennials to order again!

This winter I ordered several times from Bluestone online and over the phone; adding and subtracting items while changing the date of delivery. They were always professional. I ordered six shrubs, plus numerous varied perennials. When the plants arrived as scheduled last week the order was correct (no small feat given the number of changes I made) and all the plants looked great except for a sensitive Doroncium which went down hill after I got it out of the box. I sent off a quick email yesterday and they are mailing a replacement, no questions asked.

Great customer service! I ordered in February, and had not heard from them by late March. I was heartened by the positive regard most customers have for the company, and called Bluestone. They were very kind and helpful - told me my shipping date and probable arrival date. 2 E-mails arrived right after that - one to confirm shipping date, then one to privide a tracking number. I got my plants today - they were in fabulous shape - and much bigger than I expected from a mail-order service. My daughter helped me remove the MULTITUDES of packing material. She joked that they must be the fruit of the (very lush and bud-covered) Deutzia plants we ordered. She had always wondered what plant packing peanuts came from!
I get common shrubs and perennials from my neighborhood nursery. This was a special treat - I look forward to dealing with Bluestone and their special plants again.

In the close to 1000 plants I have ordered from various companies NO ONE comes close to the quality and professionallism of this company. Recently I placed another order with Bluestone and was told that part of the order could not be filled due to the plants "were not ready"....CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT! I have NEVER heard that from any other company, most companies would have shipped those plants out (taking a chance on the quality.) This is a truly unique company that is setting the bar in this field, my hat is off to you Bluestone.

I can not tell you about the the "return policy" here as I have NEVER had to use it in all of my orders. I can honestly say that of the date of this writing I have NOT lost even 1 single plant that was purchased from Bluestone. On my last order I made up my mind I will never order another plant from anywhere else.

THANK YOU BLUESTONE! KEEP UP THE LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE!


Brian James Sklenka
(217) 824-8306

My order arrived complete, timely, and fresh. Can't get any better than that. You can beat their prices on the common stuff at the big box stores, but you can't beat their variety. Only downside for me is dealing with the stupid packing peanuts. I hate'em.

This is a great company! I've ordered from them 4 years now & I'm continuously impressed with everything about them. The website is easy to use, ordering is simple, I receive email confirmations at the time of order & also when it has shipped along with tracking info. The plants arrive very prompty (I live in a rural Northern California area. I placed my order on Sunday evening and had the plants on my doorstep Thursday!). The plants are without exception *very* healthy & with only one minor exception (in the last 4 years!) on my last order this spring, I've had no problems whatever! One of the more delicate plants (dicentra) got a bit squashed. I emailed them & had a reply in 24 hrs & a replacement the next week-no questions asked! They are clearly very much customer satisfaction oriented! With the exception of my own inexperience (wrong plant for climate &/or planted in wrong location), the plants have thrived wonderfully, even with some neglect or abuse. The plants may seem a bit small but the prices are so reasonable it allows one to order several. In fact most of the plants come in 3-packs on an average of around $10.00/3-pack. How can you beat those prices?! I also really like their recycling policy-if you send back the box with the packing peanuts, they send you a coupon for free shipping on the next order! Since I live so far away, this really helps make is easy on my pocketbook (& I can order more plants!). I just can't say enough good things about this company! Needless to say I will continue to order from them. Why go anywhere else?!

A+++

I am SO VERY VERY impressed with this company. THis is my first order with them and I will DEFINATELY be doing much more business with them in the years to come. Not only did my plants arrive promptly but what a surprise to open the box and see happy, healthy, lush green plants -and even a flower! I ordered close to a hundred plants, and only two of them looked questionable so I called the company to inform them- they immediately offered to replace those two free of charge. I would recomend this company to ALL of my fellow green thumbs out there!

I was happily surprised by the level of customer service I've received so far from this company! Very prompt with emails, so I feel confident that there is actually a human on the other end of my web order. I had concerns with one plant that I really wanted but had heard was "invasive", and they wrote back promptly with links to info on the web about this particular species and allayed my fears. I was also happy with how easy it was to change a part of my order -- I pointed out a plant I had ordered to my sig. other at a local garden center, and when he gave the color a big thumbs down, I called Bluestone, and they very quickly and pleasantly changed my order to a similarly-sized variety in a different color! I don't get this kind of service in person, even at the high-end garden centers here in the Boston area!

I order plants from Bluestone every year without fail. Good selection, good prices, and great service. The latest shipment contained more than 80 plants. They all arrived in perfect condition. They traveled all the way to California without drying out, and not one leaf was bent or broken. Bluestone also has an impressive variety of discount coupons and Web-only specials.

I don't know anything about their replacement or refund policy because I've never had any problems with their plants.

This is the second time I have ordered from this company.This time as before every thing was perfect! Great packing,wonderful plants,just a pleasure to do business with.I will certainly order from them again.

Very happy with my order from this company. Plants arrived in great condition and much larger than I was expecting. I will most definitely order from them again.

I received my order from Bluestone about a week ago. The plants arrived well packaged with the soil still moist. They look very healthy and have already grown a little larger. As always, it is a pleasure to do business with this company.

Bought several hundred dollars worth of plants to create a perrennial garden that will be blooming in September when I get married in the center of it! Gorgeous plants!! Very healthy! EXCELLENT packaging! A few didn't make it, but I blame the flooding they had to endure in our unusual weather pattern this winter. One backordered plant that I am still waiting on to arrive this spring - but I have faith that this company will actually deliver. Great company to do business with - I highly recommend it!